1966 C 10 - "Wild Thang"

[jimmythompson1964]

I have been on this site for quite a while. I have really enjoyed reading along with some of the builds and adventures you guys have shared here. I have been able to meet a few of you in person. I met 198Plus, as he lived in the same town as I did when I lived in GA, I enjoyed wondering around his shop looking at the cool builds he had going on. Drove to Ball Ground GA and met Alan and I dreuled over his build, Vitamin C 10 a beautiful truck. I met Dpowers and we had coffee and talked old trucks. I was fortunate enough to visit a job site in Fayetteville, Arkansas so I dropped by Clemdaddy,s and enjoyed his one of a kind shop/parts flea market. I enjoyed meeting each one of you as we all have the same love for these old trucks and it gives us common ground. Time for some of my story…I was raised in a junk yard so to speak, my parents were moving on a weekend when I was in 1st grade so my dad dropped me off at my granddad’s for the weekend. Well he ran a junk yard and I spent all day Friday and most of Saturday roaming through that place sitting the cars pretending I was driving them helping the 2 old black men remove parts…mostly getting in their way but they tolerated me trying to help. From that weekend forward I was hooked I wanted to spend every day with my granddad at that old junkyard. Over the years I got to know where the cars were as good as anyone that worked there. I also fell in love with the 57 Chevys, after I watched the movie Return to Macon County. So the summer I turned 13 I took on cutting grass in the near by neighborhoods and saved every dime to put towards a 57 Chevy. When had saved $75.00 (I thought I was rich), my Dad was a Deputy Sherriff and one of his friends had a 57 Chevy 2 door hard top 283 with a 3 speed, a Hurst floor shifter and chrome slot mags. He agreed to sell it to me on payments…$750.00 (Unbelievable to me to this day) My dad probably helped me along I am not sure but I payed for it over the next year or so. I lived right next to the school so I made sure I parked it near the fence so I could show it to all my friends when we when out for recess and as you can imagine my cool factor went up several notches.
Unfortunately I sold it when I was 23 to buy a 67 Baracuda. Anyway long story shortened I have been around cars and junk yards ( I even worked at one in my 20’s) most of my life and have had a hot rod / work in progress from the age of 13. I have owned at one time or another some version of most of the cool cars we lust over now, the most note worthy…57 chevy, 4 69 Camaros 5 78-81 Camaros, (still have a 79 Z28) 70 Nova 73 Mach 1, 75 V8 Vega, several Jeeps, 71 340 Duster (2 of them) 67 Barracuda fast back 340, 68, 70, 72 Chevy C 10’s 71 Monte Carlo, 4 78-86 Cutlasses and many beaters in between. It was always the same MO, buy them needing some work and it always starts wheels & tires, exhaust for the cool factor and then engine improvements and body work last or never unless it is necessary . I turn 54 in June and I still enjoy this method. I like to drive and enjoy the project and driving keeps me motivated to continue to improve my ride while developing a love for that ride as I pour my effort and money into putting my personality into my ride. My love for these old trucks came from one my dad owned when I was a kid. A 60 short wheel base stepper with the 64-66 grille & hood 327 4 speed, and he was not scared to drive it…it left a lasting impression on me and my driving style. So hopefully this helps you guys see why I do things a little different. I have spent several years thinking I would eventually do the ground up restoration / build thing, but I have to be honest with myself and admit I will probably never be that guy, I like to drive them and beat on them love on them and be the work in progress kind of guy. So this may explain why I am shifting gears and starting a new “Work in Progress Build Page” for my latest fun ride I have affectionately named “Wild Thang” which is come from the fact it has AFR Street eliminator aluminum heads with Crane gold series roller rockers, a comp roller hydraulic cam 12-1 Ross race pistons, Eagle H-Beam rods, Eagle 400 crank making a mean little small block 388 stroker stuffed under the hood with a 4 speed and 373 w/ a Detroit locker out back, and drum brakes all around and no power steering( yet). You may see where that name came from. When you really get into the gas on this old truck things can get a little wild. Soooo…I will over the next few weeks I will take the time to separate the Chop Top Build and the Wild Thang drive and build to be able to relate to you guys my path on both, if I ever get back to the Chop Top Build. One thing this web site has taught me over the last 6 years is that you will need to articulate your story well if you want people to be interested in it, I have not done that very well with my first build page. I will attempt to follow the examples that have been most interesting to me and hopefully it will be worth reading for some of you guys and maybe you will have some input for me as well. Pictures below are my 57 when I first bought it and right before I blew the motor street racing and that I ended up selling it to buy a 67 Barracuda